Compressor



F. E. PAUGH COMPRESSOR Nov. 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1958 INVENTOR.

BY w United States atent'O 3,008,631 COMPRESSOR Fred E. Paugh, Bell, Calif. (2410 E. Slauson Ave., Hunting Park, Calif.) Filed May 26, 1958, Ser. No. 737,622 4 Claims. (Cl. 230-158) This invention relates to a compressor and is more particularly concerned with a novel rotary type air com pressor construction. 7

The ordinary rotary type air compressor involves generally an elongate cylinder closed at each end by suitable heads and having circumferentially spaced, longitudinally disposed inlet and outlet openings spaced about its periphery, an elongate cylinder rotor of less diametric extent than the cylinder bore and rotatably supported in the cylinder on an axis parallel with and offset from the axis of the cylinder and a plurality of elongate, circumferentially spaced, longitudinally disposed blades carried by the rotor for relative radial shifting therewith and adapted to slidably engage and seal with the bore of the cylinder. The manner in which this general type of compressor draws in, compresses and discharges air is well known by those skilled in the art and therefore need not be discussed.

The ordinary rotary type compressor of the general character referred to above is generally a single or double stage compressor, that is, it has a single cylinder and rotor or has a large primary cylinder and rotor assembly and a small, secondary booster cylinder and rotor assembly directly associated with the exhaust port or outlet opening of the primary cylinder and adapted to boost or increase the pressure of the air handled by the primary cylinder assembly. Such compressors whether single or double stage are designed and constructed to handle a predetermined volume of air and to discharge it at a predetermined pressure. As a result, such compressors are generally rather large and heavy and are costly to manufacture and maintain.

Further, such constructions are not flexible, that is, they cannot be advantageously and economically operated to deliver volumes of air other than that for which they are designed.

Due to the unitary construction of the ordinary rotary type pump of the character referred to, when one or more of the running parts thereof become worn or damaged, the entire construction is rendered inoperative, and must be taken out of service for repair. Still further, due to the unitary construction and critical tolerances that must be maintained in such compressors, it is generally necessary that the repairs be made in the shop of the manufacturer of the compressor, which frequently requires shipping a compressor in need of repair, a considerable distance and at the expense of considerable money and time.

In practice, if the cylinder bore of the ordinary rotar y pump is scored and damaged, it frequently requires that the entire cylinder block or body be replaced, which block or body is the largest and the most costly component of the construction. I

Due to the excessive longitudinal extent of the rotor and the blades of the ordinary rotary compressor, cooling of the construction and proper lubrication of the blades, where they engage in the rotor and against the cylinder bore, becomes a serious problem and frequently requires that cooling and lubricating oil be sprayed or atomized into the inflowing air to absorb excess heat and also to assure proper lubrication of the running or wearing parts referred to. Such a practice requires the employment of costly and complicated means for separating the oil from the air after it has been discharged from the compressor.

In constructions where oil spray cooling means such 3,008,631 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 lCC is generally jacketed to handle a suitable heat transfer or cooling fluid, such as water. This manner of cooling materially increases the weight, complexity and cost of the cylinder body.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary type compressor involving a plurality of small, lightweight, compact, rotary compressor units.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a compressor construction of the character referred to involving a novel drive means for the several compressor units and a novel mounting and manifolding means therefor.

It is an object of my invention to provide a compressor of the character referred to wherein each of the several compressor units can be easily and quickly removed and taken out of operation for the purpose of varying the capacity of the construction and/or for the purpose of replacing or repairing the said units.

An object of my invention is to provide a compressor construction of the character referred to having a plurality of like, primary compressors adapted to deliver air into a common manifold and a plurality of like, secondary compressor units receiving air from said manifold and delivering it to a desired location for use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction of the character referred to wherein the several compressor units are easy and economical to manufacture and are such that spare units can be kept available to replace worn or damaged units, without the necessity of taking the construction out of service for a prolonged period of time for the purpose of repair.

A further object of this invention is to provide small compressor units which are such that they can be advantageously cooled by air and are such that the various working parts thereof can be easily lubricated without the employment of a costly and complicated oiling system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction of the character referred to having a novel air supply means for filtering the air being handled and to cool the construction.

An object of this invention is to provide a construction of the general character referred to which is easy and economical to manufacture and maintain and a construction which is both highly effective and dependable in operation.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the compressor con- I struction provided by the present invention.

as referred to above are not employed, the cylinder body FIG. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal detailed sectional view of the construction that I provide and taken as indicated by line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the construction and one of the compressor units that I provide and taken as indicated by line 3-3 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of one of the compressor units taken as indicated by line 4-4 on FIG. 2.

The compressor construction A provided by the present invention is adapted for use in most circumstances where a supply and/or a ready source ofcompressed air must be provided.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, I have shown the compressor A mounted on a suitable frame 10 and related to a prime mover M mounted on the frame adjacent one end of the compressor. The prime mover M can be of any desired form and construction, as for instance, it may be an electric motor and can be covered with a suitable hood ll, as illustrated.

The compressor A illustrated throughout the drawings involves generally, a body defining a manifold cham ber 21 and a transmission chamber 22, a plurality of primary compressor units 23 carried by the body and con nected with the manifold chamber 21, a plurality of secondary compressor units 24 carried by the body and communicating with and receiving air from the manifold chamber 21, drive means 25 carried by the housing and occurring within the transmission chamber 22 and operatively coupled with the prime mover and with the several units 23 and 24, and air supply means- 26 adapted to conduct air to the several primary units 23 and to cool the construction.

The construction that I provide further includes a suitable oiling system 27 for the several units 23 and 24.

The body 20 that I provide is a substantially flat, vertically disposed structure and in the case under consideration is shown as being substantially disc-shaped. The body 20 is shown as having an annular, axially disposed side wall 30, axially spaced, vertically disposed, flat front and rear walls 31 and 32 and a flat, vertically disposed central or intermediate partition 33 cooperating with the side and front walls 30 and 31 to establish the manifold chamber 21 and cooperating with the said side wall 30 and rear wall 32 to establish the transmission chambers 22.

In the case illustrated, the side and front walls 30 and 31 and the partition 33 are integrally joined together and are preferably formed as by casting while the back Wall 32 is in the nature of a simple, disc-like plate and is secured to the rear edge of the side wall 30 by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced screw fasteners 34.

In addition to the foregoing, the body 20 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced primary bearing blocks 35 about the outer peripheral portion to extend between the front wall 31 and the partition 33 and adapted to cooperatively receive elements and/or parts of the primary units 24 and the drive means 25, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, secondary bearing blocks 36 about its inner peripheral portion, extending between the front wall 30 and the partition 33 and adapted to cooperatively receive elements and/or parts of the secondary compressor unit 24 and the drive means 25, and a central bearing block 37 adapted to support a part of the drive means 25 and a part of the air supply means 26, as will hereinafter be described.

Each of the several bearing blocks 35 and 36 is provided with a suitable central longitudinal opening 38 and a forwardly opening recess 39. The central bearing block 37 is provided with a central longitudinal opening 40 and has a forward portion 41 projecting forwardly from the front wall 31 of the body. In practice, the several bearing blocks are cast integrally with the body.

In the case under consideration, I have shown the body 20 provided with seven circumferentially spaced outer or primary bearing blocks 35 and two circumferentially spaced, inner, secondary bearing blocks 36.

The several primary units 23 are simple rotary compressors and each includes an elongate, horizontally disposed, cylindrical body 45 having front and rear ends, a centrally, longitudinally disposed bore 46 entering it from its front end and terminating at a flat bottom, a pair of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally disposed, radially inwardly opening inlet and outlet chambers 47 and 48 communicating with the bore, a radially outwardly opening inlet port 49 communicating with the inlet chamber and a rearwardly opening, axially disposed outlet port 50 communicating with the outlet chamber 48. The body 45 of each unit is further provided with a rearwardly projecting cylindrical boss 51 at its rear end, having a central bearing opening 52 extending therethrough and a radially outwardly projecting mounting flange 53.

The front end of the body is closed by a suitable 4';- plate-like head 54 having a central enlargement 55 with an inwardly opening bearing receiving socket 56.

The bearing opening 52 and socket 56 in the body and head 54 are in axial alignment and are offset from the central longitudinal axis of the body.

In practice, the body 45 and the head 54 are cast of aluminum or other similar light-weight metal or alloy which has exceptional heat conducting qualities.

Arranged within the bore '46 of the body 45 is a cylinder insert or sleeve 63. The sleeve 60* is slidably engaged in the bore and is provided with circumferentially spaced, longitudinally disposed rows of inlet and outlet ports 61 and 62, which ports are arranged to register and establish open communication between the interior of the cylinder and the inlet and outlet chambers 47 and 48 in the body.

Arranged within the cylinder sleeve 6%) of each unit 23 is an elongate, cylindrical rotor 65. The rotor 65 of each unit is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally disposed, radially outwardly opening, blade-receiving slots 66, a forwardly projecting hearing trunnion 67 at its forward end projecting freely into the socket 56 in the head 54 and a rearwardly projecting trunnion 68 projecting freely through the bearing opening 52 in the boss at the rear end of the body. The trunnions 67 and 68 are rotatably supported in the sockets 56 and in the openings 52 by suitable anti-friction bearings 69 and 70.

The rearwardly projecting trunnion 63 is provided with a rearwardly projecting, transversely disposed key 71 at its rear end, which key is adapted to engage and establish driving engagement with an element of the drive means 25, as will hereinafter be described.

The rotor 65 is of less diametric extent than the sleeve 60 and is offset from the central axis of the sleeve so that it establishes near sliding engagement with the sleeve at a point intermediate the inlet and outlet ports 61 and 62 therein and in advance of the inlet ports, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

Slidably engaged in each slot 66 in the rotor of each unit is an elongate blade 72, which blade is adapted to be shifted radially outwardly relative to the rotor and into sliding sealing engagement with the cylinder 60, by centrifugal force when the construction is in operation.

In operation, as when the rotor is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 4 of the drawings, it will be apparent that air is drawn into the unit through the inlet port 49 and inlet chamber 47 and is compressed and discharged into the outlet chamber 48 through the outlet port 50.

Each of the several primary compressor units 23 is position so that the boss 51 at the rear end thereof slidably enters the recess 36 of one of the primary bearing blocks 35 and so that the mounting flange 53 thereof establishes fiat bearing engagement with the front surface of the front wall 31 of the body. The body is secured to the front wall 31 of the body by means of suitable bolt type fasteners 54- engaged through the flange 53 and into the said front wall of the body.

The front wall 31 of the body is provided with a suitable inlet port 55 adjacent each bearing block 35 to register with the outlet port 50 of the said units 23 and to conduct the air from the said units into the manifold chamber 21.

The secondary compressor units 24 are substantially the same as the primary units 23, except that the inlet and outlet chambers 47' and 48 and their related inlet and outlet ports 49' and 5d are reversed. That is, the inlet port 49' enters the rear end of the body and the outlet port 50 is at one side of the body.

The units 24 are related to the secondary bearing blocks 36 and are fixed to the front wall of the body 31 in the same manner that the primary units 23 are related to the bearing blocks 35 and are secured to the front wall of the body.

The inlet ports 49 of the units 24 register with suitable outlet ports 55 provided in the front wall 31 of the body adjacent the bearing blocks 36.

With the construction thus far described, it will be apparent that the several units 23 and 24 are simple, light-weight compact units and are such that they can be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the body 20 as circumstances require. It will be further apparent that the units are such that they can be easily and quickly repaired, as for example, should the sleeve 60' of of the units become worn or damaged, it can be easily replaced with a new sleeve with a minimum expenditure of time and money.

In practice, the outlet ports 50' of the secondary units 24 are connected with suitable delivery pipes 75, which pipes can, for example extend to a suitable manifold pipe for handling and subsequent use.

In practice, when it is desired or necessary to remove one or more of the units 23 or 24, a suitable blank plate 76 (see FIG. 3), can be put in its place to seal or close off the manifold chamber and allow for continued operation of the construction.

The drive means 25 that I provide volves an elongate drive shaft 80 rotatably supported in the central bearing block 37 of the body by means of suitable antifriction bearings 81 and projects rearwardly through the transmission chamber, the back wall 32 of the body and to a point where it is suitably connected with the prime mover M. A suitable bearing 82 is provided in the center of the back wall 32 to support the shaft 30 where it projects therethrough.

The means 25 further includes a driven shaft 83 rotatably carried by each of the bearing blocks 35 and 36 to project rearwardly therefrom and into the transmission chamber 23. A driven pinion 84 is carried by each driven shaft 83 and a pair of drive gears are carried by the drive shaft to engage the pinions. In the case illustrated, I provide a primary drive gear 85 adapted to engage the pinions 84 on the driven shafts 83 related to the outer bearing blocks 35 and a secondary drive gear '86 of less diametric extent than the primary gear, adapted to engage the pinions 84 on the drive shafts related to the inner or secondary bearing blocks 36.

In order that the several gears and pinions do not interfere with each other, the pinions 84 related to the inner bearing blocks 36 and the drive gear 86 related thereto, are spaced forward of the pinions 85 related to the outer bearing blocks 35 and the drive gear 85 related thereto, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

The driven shafts 83 are rotatably carried in the openlugs 38 in the bearing blocks to which they are related by suitable anti-friction bearings 86 and so that their inner ends project into the recesses 39 to oppose the rear trunnions 68 on the rotors of the units. The front ends of the driven shafts 83 are provided with transverse key-ways 87 which slidably receive the keys 71 on the rotor trunnions to establish driving engagement between the rotors and the said driven shafts.

In practice, the pinion and gear wheels can be varied in size to control the ratio of speed between the several compressor units and the ratio of speed between the prime mover and the said units, as circumstances require.

In practice, the transmission chamber 22 carries a body of lubricating oil as indicated at 88., which oil is picked up by the gears and distributed throughout the drive means during operation of the construction to suitably lubricate the said drive means.

The air supply means 26 adapted to condition and conduct air to the primary units 23 and also to cool the construction, is shown as including an elongate, horizontally disposed shell 90 having a cylindrical side wall 91 and a fiat front wall 92. The rear end of the shell is slidably engaged about the front end of the body 20 and is secured thereto by means of suitable screw fasteners 93. The rear portion of the side wall 91 of the shell is provided with a plurality of circumferentially 6 spaced outlet openings 94 while the front wall 92 thereof is provided with a central air inlet port 95.

A suitable air filter F is associated with the inlet port 95 and in the case illustrated is carried by a mounting ducts 96, which duct is fixed to the front Wall of the shell in register with the inlet port 95 and projects forwardly and then upwardly therefrom.

The air circulating or supply means is shown as further including an elongate extension 97 on the forward end of the drive shaft of the drive means 25 and a fan 98 fixed to the said extension to occur in the forward end of the shell. The shaft extension 97 projects through and is rotatably supported by a bearing housing 99 fixed to and projecting from the forward or front end portion 41 of the bearing block 37 of the body 20.

With the means 26 set forth above, it will be apparent that the fan 98 draws air into the shell through the filter F and duct 96 and urges the air rearwardly in the shell, under pressure. Certain of the air is urged and/ or drawn into the units 23 and the remainder thereof is circulated about the units 23 and 24 and across the front wall 30 of the body 20 to absorb heat therefrom and is subsequently discharged from the shell through the outlet ports 94 about the rear portion thereof.

The oiling means 27 that I provide to lubricate the rotor blades and cylinder sleeve of the several units 23 and 24 is shown as including an elongate oil main 100 entering the forward end of each rotor and terminating short of the rear end thereof, a plurality of longitudinally spaced, radially disposed ports 101 at the bottom of each blade receiving recess 66 in the rotors and communicating with the mains extending therethrough, an oil line 102 suitably engaged in an opening 102 provided in the center of the head 54 of each unit and communicating with the oil main 101 in the rotor related thereto and a suitable annular seal 104 between the ends of the rotors and the heads to occur about the openings and the main and to assure the flow of oil from the lines 102' into the said mains.

The several lines 102 of the means 27 are connected with a suitable manifold ring 185, which ring can receive oil from any suitable oil supply or oil distributing means (not shown).

With the means 27 that I provide, it will be apparent that the various working parts of the several units 23 and 24 can be advantageously lubricated as desired.

In practice, when the construction is used in situations where the volume and/or rate of air must be constantly changed or varied, suitable unloading devices can be applied to all or certain of the units 23 in order to automatically put them into and out of service as circumstances require.

In FIG. 3 of the drawings, I have shown certain of the units 23 provided with unloaders 196 arranged adjacent the inlet ports 49 thereof. The unloaders 106 are shown connected with the manifold chamber 21 by means of suitable ducts 187. The unloaders 106 are adapted to operate to open and close the inlet ports of the units to which they are related in response to predetermined manifold pressures.

In practice, the unloaders 106 can vary widely in form and construction and can operate in response to pressures other than the manifold pressure as indicated, without in any way affecting the novelty of the present invention.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that I have provided a novel, light, versatile or flexible, rotary type compressor construction which is highly effective and dependable in operation and a construction which is both easy and economical to manufacture and maintain.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A compressor including, a body defining a manifold chamber and having a front wall with radially spaced inner and outer annular rows of outlet and inlet openings respectively therein, a. plurality of like, unitary, primary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to me said wall and having outlet ports communicating with the inlet openings therein to discharge air into the chamber, a plurality of like unitary secondary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to said wall and having inlet ports communicating with the outlet openings therein to receive air from the chamber and manifold means connected with and receiving air from the said secondary units to handle said air for subsequent use.

2. A compressor including, a body defining a manifold chamber and having a front Wall with inner and outer, annular rows of outlet and inlet openings respectively therein, a plurality of like, unitary, primary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to the said Wall and having outlet ports communicating with the inlet openings therein to discharge air into the chamber, a plurality of like, unitary, secondary, rotary com-pressor units releasably secured to said Wall and having inlet ports communicating with the outlet openings therein to receive air from the chamber, manifold means connected with and receiving air from the said secondary units to handle said air for subsequent use, and drive means carried by the body and operatively coupled with a prime mover and the several compressor units, said drive means including a plurality of driven shafts rotatably carried by the body, releasable coupling means between each driven shaft and one of the several units, a driven shaft rotatably carried by the body concentric with the rows of units, a pinion on each of said driven shafts, a primary gear on said drive shaft engaged with the pinions on the driven shafts related to said primary units and a secondary gear on said drive shaft engaged with the pinions on the driven shafts related to said secondary units.

3. A compressor including, an elongate body having an annular side wall, longitudinally spaced front and rear Walls and an intermediate partition, said front and side walls and said partition defining a manifold chamber, said side and rear Walls and said partition defining a transmission chamber, said front wall having an outer annular row of inlet openings communicating with said manifold chamber and an inner annular row of outlet openings communicating with said manifold chamber, a bearing block adjacent each inlet and outlet opening and extending between the front wall and the partition and a central bearing block extending between said front wall and the partition and concentric with said rows of openings, a plurality of like, unitary, primary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to the front wall adjacent said bearing blocks and having outlet ports communicating with said inlet openings to discharge air into the chamber, a plurality of like, unitary, secondary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to the front wall adjacent said bearing blocks and having inlet ports communicating with said outlet openings to receive air from the chamber, manifold means connected With and receiving air from the said secondary units to handle said air for subsequent use, drive means carried by the body and operatively coupled with a prime mover and the several compressor units, said drive means including a drive shaft carried by said central bearing block and projecting through said transmission chamber and back wall of the body to connect with the prime mover, a driven shaft rotatably carried by each bearing block to releasably engage the unit related thereto and having one end projecting into the transmission chamber, a pinion fixed to said one end of each driven shaft, a primary gear on said drive shaft to occur within said transmission chamber and engage the pinions related to said primary units, a secondary gear on said drive shaft to occur within the transmission chamber to engage the pinions related to said secondary units, and air supply means to conduct air to said primary units and to cool said units and the body, including, a shell carried by the body to enclose said units and having an air inlet opening, an air outlet opening and a fan within the shell to draw air into said shell through said inlet opening, a portion of said air is urged into the primary units and the remainder is conducted about the said units and the body to cool them and thence out through the outlet opening in the shell said fan being coupled with the drive shaft of the drive means.

4. A compressor including, an elongate body having an annular side wall, longitudinally spaced front and rear walls and an intermediate partition, said front and side walls and said partition defining a manifold chamber, said side and rear Walls and said partition defining a transmission chamber, said front wall having an outer annular row of inlet openings communicating with said manifold chamber and an inner annular row of outlet openings communicating with said manifold chamber, a bearing block adjacent each inlet and outlet opening and extending between the front wall and the partition and a central bearing block extending between said front wall and the partition and concentric with said rows of openings, a plurality of like, unitary, primary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to the front wall adjacent said bearing blocks and having outlet ports communicating with said inlet openings to discharge air into the chamber, a plurality of like, unitary, secondary, rotary compressor units releasably secured to the front wall adjacent said bearing blocks and having inlet ports communicating with said outlet openings to receive air from the chamber, manifold means connected with and receiving air from the said secondary units to handle said air for subsequent use, drive means carried by the body and operatively coupled with a prime mover and the several compressor units, said drive means including a drive shaft carried by said central bearing block and projecting through said transmission chamber and back wall of the body to connect with the prime mover, a driven shaft rotatably carried by each bearing block to releasably engage the unit related thereto and having one end projecting into the transmission chamber, a pinion fixed to said one end of each driven shaft, a primary gear on said drive shaft to occur Within said transmission chamber and engage the pinions related to said primary units, a secondary gear on said drive shaft to occur within the transmission chamber to engage the pinions related to said secondary units, and air supply means to conduct air to said primary units and to cool said construction and including, an elongate shell having an annular side wall with circumferentially spaced outlet openings in its rear end portion and a front wall with a central inlet opening, said shell being carried by the body to project forwardly therefrom to enclose said units, an extension on the drive shaft and projecting forwardly in the shell, a fan carried by the extension to occur forward of the units and to draw air into said shell through said inlet opening in the shell, a portion of said air is urged into the primary units and the remainder is conducted about the exterior of said units to cool them and is then conducted out through the outlet openings in the shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,020,852 Swindell Mar. 19, 1912 2,146,123 Logan Feb. 7, 1939 2,481,047 Sloane Sept. 6, 1949 2,648,488 Paget Aug. 11, 1953 2,699,725 Quinn Jan. 18, 1955 2,699,726 Quinn Jan. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 832,671 France July 4, 1938 846,828 France June 19, 1939 

